WJPA Sports

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Esmerlyn Valdez and Jared Triolo both hit home runs to help the Pittsburgh Pirates escape an early five-run deficit, and Endy Rodriguez closed the deal with a three-run homer in the ninth for an 11-7 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday night. The Pirates posted a six-run fifth inning against struggling starter Aaron Nola. The Phillies fought back with two runs in the eighth to cut the lead to one run, but Rodriquez homered on a two-out pitch off reliever Chase Shugart in the ninth.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — José Canale scored on the first sudden-death penalty kick, Orlando Gill made two key saves in the shootout, and Paraguay beat Germany 4-3 on penalties to earn the biggest upset of the 2026 World Cup. The Round of 32 match ended 1-1 after extra time. Paraguay took the lead when Julio Enciso scored on a header late in the first half, but Kai Havertz equalized in the 52nd minute for four-time champion Germany. Paraguay will next face the winner of Tuesday’s match between France and Sweden in the round of 16 on Saturday in Philadelphia.

GUADALUPE, Mexico (AP) — Ismael Saibari scored the decisive goal in a penalty shootout, and Morocco sent the Netherlands to its earliest World Cup exit, eliminating the Dutch 3-2 after a 1-1 draw. With the shootout tied at 2-all after four rounds, Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou made a strong save of Crysencio Summerville’s attempt, batting it away with his left hand. The Netherlands had reached at least the round of 16 in 11 previous World Cups, including a quarterfinal appearance four years ago, when Morocco reached the semifinals. Morocco moves on to face Canada in the Round of 16 on Saturday in Houston.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Sportsbook operators are seeing record betting on this year’s World Cup. The event is in North America, allowing U.S. audiences to watch live. And the U.S. team has high expectations after winning its first two matches. Caesars Sportsbook’s Mark Bickerdike says the betting has exceeded expectations. DraftKings’ Johnny Avello compares the wagering to the NCAA Tournament, saying it could be the biggest event of the year. BetMGM’s Christian Cipollini expects the U.S. game against Bosnia-Herzegovina to be the sportsbook’s most bet-on soccer game ever. France and Argentina are favorites, but long-shot bets are also popular.